Scarred
by KameronMae
Summary: Elena's life changed overnight. No longer could she be carefree and happy like she once was. Wanting to escape, she moves to Mystic Falls with Jeremy. While in Mystic Falls she runs into Damon Salvatore, who instantly falls in love with her. Problem is, Elena doesn't think she deserves to be loved. Can Damon convince Elena that her scars don't define who she is?
1. Chapter 1

"Mom!" Elena cried out from the backseat. "Dad?!" Their car had just been run off the road and had fallen down a steep ditch. Elena didn't know how many times the car rolled, but she knew she was in an immense amount of pain. She shook her mom's shoulder violently, not noticing the stream of blood falling onto her from her mom's wounds. "Please..." Elena sobbed, "Please wake up!"

"E…Elena?" Her father stirred in the driver's seat, trying to meet his daughter's eyes. He saw the raw fear in Elena's eyes and knew that he couldn't focus on himself and the pain he was in now. All that mattered was his wife and his daughter. He knew Elena was alive, but he couldn't say the same for his wife. Sadly, his pain was too great and his eyes began to flutter closed again. Being a doctor he realized that if he fell asleep he may not wake up. If anything, either he or his wife Miranda had to make it out alive to take care of their two kids.

"Daddy," Elena grabbed his hand, holding it with more force than necessary, ignoring the screaming pain in her fingers. "You have to stay awake, Mom's hurt. We need to get help!" Hearing his daughter's cries brought something up inside him, he recognized that his body was in flight or fight mode.

"Elena, you're going to be okay. I need you to listen to me." He made sure to lock eyes with her, showing her that this was serious. As if she didn't already know that. "Find your phone. Get out of the car, lie down on the grass and call 911." Grayson shifted his eyes back to his wife and gritted his teeth as he leaned his wife's seat back, straddling her at the waist. Elena frantically searched in the backseat for her phone while her father pressed his fingers against his wife's carotid artery, searching for a pulse. The pit of fear in his stomach grew as he noticed that he couldn't find one.

"I found it!" Elena cried out, sending a rush of relief through them both. Ignoring the crushing pain in her chest, she kicked out the backseat window and twisted her body so she could get out of the car.

"Dammit Miranda!" She heard her dad scream in frustration. "You can't leave me alone! I can't do this by myself!" Elena recognized that her father was crying, something she had only seen him do one other time in her life. "1 2 3 4" He began chanting to himself as he tried to preform CPR on his wife. It was then that he noticed the blood pouring from a gash about two inches deep. Grayson went into doctor mode and ripped his shirt from his body, tying it around the wound as he continued CPR at the same time.

Elena's hands shook violently as she tried to dial 911, her heart beat pounding in her ears. She knew that her mom's survival more than likely depended on her being strong and she willed her hands to stop shaking. "911, what's your emergency?" A calm female voice came over the phone while Elena tried to find the words.

"My... My family has been in a car accident," she sobbed "We got ran off the road. My mom has a huge gash on her head and she's bleeding really badly. I have a crushing pain in my chest," Elena was struggling to get oxygen into her lungs. "Help us, please!"

"Aright ma'am I need you to calm down. Take a deep breath. What's your name?" She asked calmly, Elena's pain turned to anger. Why did it matter what her name was?! She dropped the phone on the grass as she realized she had no idea where they were or where they had gone off the road. Her dad glanced to the side and saw his daughter's phone lying in the grass as Elena stood there, watching him try to save her mom.

"Elena! Stop watching me and tell them where we are!"

"I don't know where we are, dad!" She raised her voice, beginning to get kind of pissed off that her dad was making it seem like Elena was doing nothing. Didn't he realize she was in a lot of pain, just trying to be stoic for her mom? Did her selflessness even matter?

"Tell them we went off the highway at junction 101 near exit fifteen. NOW!" He screamed at her. He knew it wasn't helping the situation but he was beginning to lose control and he was the type of man that had to always have control over the situation.

"Ma'am?" The operator raised her voice, hearing the yelling in the background. She tried desperately to get a trace on the girl's phone, but so far, she was having no such luck. Elena grabbed the phone off the grass and cringed as her dad yelled at her.

"We went off the highway at junction 101 near exit fifteen." She repeated, her voice cracking in between words.

"Alright, I need you to stay on the phone with me this time. How many people were injured?"

"Three. My mom's the most serious. My dad is a doctor at Seattle General Hospital, he's trying to stop the bleeding. Please, you've got to send help!"

"Breathe. Help is on the way, you're going to be okay." Elena tried to focus on the operator's words but found it increasingly difficult as the pain in her chest continued to grow. It was as if she was trapped underwater.

Grayson continued to perform CPR, but there had been no change and he had been going at it for at least five minutes now. He knew that it was too late for his wife, she had most likely been killed on impact. Tears streamed down his face as he pressed a kiss to his wife's bloody forehead. His best friend of nineteen years, gone in the blink of an eye. He faintly heard his daughter's cries. His eyes snapped up and his head whipped to the side, his _daughter._ Grayson knew that he had to be strong for Elena, she needed him.

Elena was startled when her dad rushed to her side so abruptly, confused as to why he wasn't continuing to help her mom. That's when it hit her; her mom was dead. Elena swore she felt the ground disappear from underneath her and she collapsed, a strangled cry forcing its way out of her throat. Her dad sat down, sweeping his daughter into his arms and holding her against his chest. Grayson noticed how his daughter was struggling to breathe, he just lost his wife. He couldn't lose his daughter too.

"Daddy…" She coughed violently and cried into his chest. Elena didn't know how much longer she could keep her eyes open, the tightening of her chest from lack of oxygen increasing by the moment.

"Hold on baby, just hold on." He stroked her hair softly, trying to calm his daughter down while keeping a hold of his emotions for her sake. Relief flooded through the both of them as the blaring noise of the sirens became apparent. Elena was beginning to lose consciousness, her grip on her father growing weaker. "Elena! Stay awake!"

 _'_ _So, this is how it ends, huh? Killed by a car wreck?'_ she thought to herself as tiny black dots danced in her vision. Elena laughed quietly as she succumbed to the darkness pulling her further under. _'I always imagined that it would be a little more painful, I guess I should be thankful for this.'_ It was going to kill her to leave her dad and little brother behind but she simply couldn't handle it.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: This chapter contains a rape scene. If you are uncomfortable reading, please skip this chapter and go to the next one!**

Elena woke up screaming as she clutched her chest, reliving the nightmare that had plagued her dreams for the past three months. No matter how much she tried, she never dreamed of anything else but the accident. She had been going to therapy to try and work past it, but therapy wasn't working. She didn't want to 'talk' about her feelings about her mom dying. Elena resented her therapist for forcing her to talk about things she wasn't comfortable with and refused to go to any more sessions.

"Elena?" A voice drifted from her door and she froze, wondering if she was hallucinating again. Her brother stepped into the room, his sleepy face only visible from the moonlight pouring in through her window. "I heard you screaming." Jeremy walked closer to his sister, desperately wishing that her nightmares would go away so he could get some sleep too. Sharing a room next to Elena had always been a hassle, but since the accident it was ten times worse.

"Jeremy," she squeaked out, surprised she had woken him up yet again. "I'm sorry, go back to bed." Her brother shook his head as he walked closer to her bed, knowing the only way that they would both get sleep was to crawl into bed with her. Elena looked at her alarm clock, 3:30 am. "Jeremy seriously, you don't have to lay with me. I'm fine. Just go back to bed, okay?"

"No, Elena," he sighed as he pulled back the covers to his sister's bed. Their mother's death affected him too, but it had less of an impact because he wasn't there to actually witness her death. He sometimes hated Elena, but at the end of the day they were all each other had. "It helps you sleep better, and that's all that matters." Jeremy shifted so his arm was around his sister's shoulders as she started to cry into his chest. He ran his fingers through her hair, trying to comfort her as best as he could.

"I'm s...sor...sorry." she murmured through her sobs. Elena hated the fact that she relied so much on her brother to stay strong and protect her. It should be the opposite, she should be the one protecting him. Jeremy sighed softly, knowing that nothing he could say would make her feel better. It was best to let her cry and get it out. His therapist was concerned about him, but Jeremy always told him that he cared about Elena's sanity more than his own. Thanks to all the drugs he had been doing, he was left numb most of the time. Elena didn't have that luxury.

"Just go to sleep, 'Lena." He continued to stroke her hair and was relieved when her sobs finally stopped. Jeremy checked to make sure his sister was still breathing before he tried to fall back asleep.

He woke up again sometime later, the sun barely peeking through Elena's window. Jeremy cringed as he heard their father's door slam open, signifying that he was beginning his daily drinking ritual. It was as if they didn't exist anymore. Their father's new child was alcohol, more specifically whiskey. At least he hadn't taken up beating them for his anger yet, like so many other fathers had done before. Elena was cuddled up close to Jeremy, a peaceful look on her face as she had a dreamless sleep. Her arm was draped across his chest and he groaned internally as he realized he wouldn't be able to get out of bed anytime soon. Elena would wake up when she wanted to wake up, and until then, it would be like trying to move an elephant.

Jeremy wondered how much longer they were going to stay in this town, it was too full of memories. He desperately wanted to get away, maybe move in with his aunt Jenna across the United States, in Mystic Falls, Virginia. At least she was the one person he and Elena could count on. Jenna had no kids and her job was very flexible, so she could fly here at a moment's notice, but it was too painful for her to be here. Unfortunately, if their father was alive and proven to be a 'fit parent', they were stuck. School started in about a month and a half, and Jeremy knew he and Elena couldn't face their high school friends now. Not only had they not seen their friends all summer, but they basically shut themselves off from the world as they were stricken with grief.

"JEREMY! GET DOWN HERE NOW!" his dad screamed from downstairs. Jeremy cringed and tried to think of what he did wrong. He didn't leave his stash lying out, he hadn't touched his father's alcohol so what was it? He slowly tried to peel Elena's arms off him but it wasn't easy. Jeremy cringed again as he heard his dad's tone change into one that he feared. "JEREMY GILBERT! I SWEAR TO GOD IF YOU DON'T COME DOWN HERE RIGHT THIS MINUTE…" his father didn't even need to finish the sentence as fear invaded his heart.

"Elena!" he hissed trying to get her attention. She stirred and slowly began to wake up.

"Jer, what's wrong?" she asked as she removed her arms from around him. Jeremy didn't answer as he dashed out of the room, nearly tripping down the stairs in an attempt to follow his father's demands. Elena sat up in bed and rubbed her fingers against her temples, she knew something bad was going to happen because it seemed that every time she got stressed out or before a horrific event, that she got a headache.

Elena's heart began to pound faster and she could feel her heart beat in her ears, the blood roaring as it raced around her system. She didn't know why Jeremy had gone downstairs. But she sensed that maybe he was talking to their dad. Jeremy and he had kind of drifted apart after their mom died, and to be honest Elena knew that her dad never wanted a boy. The only reason he was staying with mom is because he loved Elena, and it broke his heart to see her so upset whenever he would pull her away from Jeremy.

She could hear the slap of a hand against a face, and something crashing to the floor. Her eyes widened and she tried to gain the confidence to get up and go downstairs to see what was wrong. It wasn't working. Elena hoped that it was her dad that got smacked and not her brother. Their dad was a black belt in tae kwon do and was known to be deadly if he got angry. "STAND UP BOY. I AM NOT FINISHED WITH YOU YET!" Elena slowly eased out from under the covers, her feet touching the cold wooden floor. It looked so bright outside, so happy. She wished her mom was here so they could go out to the backyard and have a picnic while playing with Jeremy.

Slipping her slippers on, she debated on wearing her robe. She was dressed in very short sleeping shorts and a tank top, which left little to nothing of the imagination. Elena knew how their father could get once he had started drinking and figured that it would be best to be fully covered around him. She would never tell anyone, not even Jeremy, that she was afraid her dad would try to be with her sexually now that her mom was gone. She was nearly a splitting image of her; they had the same long brunette hair, the big doe-like brown eyes, and the soft facial features making them appear slightly older than they were. Quietly Elena shrugged her robe on and tied it tight against her waist, she wasn't going to take any risks. Her breath caught in her throat as she heard her their father coming up the stairs.

"Oh god, oh god what do I do?!" she began to panic.

"Elena…" he sing-songed to her. "Come on out baby, you know you want to be a good little girl for daddy…" Elena winced as a shiver ran down her spine, fearing the wrath of her father. She didn't know what he would do, but she had a pretty good idea. Hearing him approach closer, she knew she had to find somewhere to hide and fast. She dove under the small bed, thankful that her skinny body had managed to fit underneath. She coughed violently as she inhaled dust bunnies and held her hand over her mouth to prevent herself from making any noise that would signal to him that she was here.

"Please dear god… don't let him find me!" she sobbed into her hand, her breathing automatically stopping as she heard her bedroom door open. She began praying and wished her mom was here. Where was Jeremy? He said he would always be there to protect his big sister, even if she felt that it was her job to protect him.

"Baby girl," her father crooned, "I know you're in here. Now why don't you come on out and daddy will make you feel real good." He began to get angry and slammed his foot on the ground like a child throwing a temper tantrum. She could hear him opening her closet, looking underneath her desk. Her heart stopped as she saw his shoes right near the bed. Elena knew he was going to find her, and she didn't know what she would do.

"I am going to count to ten and you will either come out from underneath your bed or I will drag you out myself!" He threatened her. Elena glanced around trying to figure out if she could escape. "1…2…3…4…5…6…7…8" her father counted menacingly. She dragged herself up from underneath the bed, coming out and standing on the other side across from the side that her father was standing near.

"Daddy…" She pleaded, her voice catching in her throat. He was grinning like the cat that ate the canary and Elena's heart dropped into her stomach, her body began pumping adrenaline throughout her veins and she knew she had to fight him.

"There's my girl!" He said cheerfully. Elena could smell the alcohol on his breath from the other side of the bed. Oh yeah, he had definitely been drinking all through the night and into the morning. She smelled Whiskey and Jack Daniel's on him, the scent wafting through the room. She was trying so hard not to gag.

"Don't do this…" Elena held up her hands in a submissive manner. "I am your daughter…" she could see in his eyes that he didn't care right now. She stepped back slowly until her back was up against the wall, her father taking small steps to strike fear into her.

"Baby, you know you want to help me. If you don't then Jeremy will get hurt, you don't want that, do you?" He stepped closer to her, Elena thought he was bluffing but decided to not take that chance.

"No…" she shook her head and cowered against the wall as he stepped closer and closer, stalking her like a piece of meat.

"That's my good girl, come to daddy…." Her father smiled, knowing he was about to get what he had been denied of for so long, even if he had to get it by force. Elena stepped forward until they were nearly nose to nose. Her stomach churned at the smell of him.

She tried to bolt by fading to her left side, avoiding her father's grasp. Or trying to at least. He managed to grab her by the wrist and squeezed so hard that she started whimpering in pain. "That was a stupid move darling…" he clicked his tongue in displeasure. "We could've made it so much easier, but you didn't want to play with daddy, so daddy's gonna have to punish you." He pulled her flush against him and kissed her on the lips. Elena did not kiss him back, in fact she tried to turn her face away but he had grabbed either side of her face with his hands.

"Please, don't do this, mom will hate you!" she cried out as her father ripped the robe from her. Elena tried desperately to cover her body up, to protect herself from his gaze. Suddenly he slapped her against the face so hard that she blacked out.

"Welcome back dear," he sneered at her. She felt the cool air on her skin and noticed she no longer had on a bra or panties. Elena tried to recover herself up, feeling deeply embarrassed and scared about her dad seeing her like this. When she tried though she was met with resistance, the damn bastard had tied her hands to the headboard and her feet to the end of the bed. "Now you can't resist me. You WILL give me what I want, just like your mama did. If you don't I will kill Jeremy and then I will kill you. Got that, bitch?!" he was seething mad with rage. Elena sobbed softly, closing her eyes to try and disappear from this awful room. She could feel him caress her cheek as he kissed her neck. She was trying so hard not to throw up, and she desperately wanted him off her.

Slowly he inched his way down her body, nipping softly on her stomach. Elena cried harder and she wished he would just kill her instead of this. He had never ever done this before! Sure, he yelled and threatened to hit them, but he never followed through with his threats. In a sense, this attack came from out of nowhere. She let out an agonizing cry as her father pushed himself into her. He then slapped her and held a hand over her mouth. Her cheek was stinging red and she knew there would be a bruise.

"Listen here, baby. We can't have the neighbors interrupting us, now can we?" Elena knew the question was rhetorical and didn't answer him. She closed her eyes again and began praying for a white knight to come rescue her from her father. He began to pump harder into his daughter as he groaned loudly and spilled his seed in her. Elena felt so dirty, so wrong. "You were good, but we need to work on you reciprocating pleasure. I'll be back and we will try this again." He undid the ropes around her hand and feet, smiling at his daughter. "Oh, and now that I've claimed you, you're mine. You will please me and do whatever I tell you to do. No other man is going to want a girl who slept with her father." Her dad turned and walked out of the room, slamming Elena's door behind him.


	3. Chapter 3

As soon as the coast was clear, or so she thought, Elena pulled up her legs to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. She seemed to be trying to hold herself together as she laid in the fetal position and sobbed softly. She felt so used, and while she knew her dad was just trying to fuck with her, she thought that her father may have been right. "Oh mommy… I wish you were here!" Elena gasped in fear as she heard her bedroom door open. "Please don't hurt me again daddy. I'm sorry I made you mad." Her father didn't say anything. She didn't know it, but Jeremy was the one who had just came into the room. He had a black eye and a swollen, busted lip, but all his pain vanished the moment he saw his sister naked and sobbing.

"Oh my god… Elena." He gasped out, his jaw nearly hitting the floor. Elena recognized her brother's voice and rolled over to her other side to face him while keeping her knees up against her chest. "Please tell me he didn't do anything, please Elena. He's our father, he shouldn't and couldn't have been able to do this…" His voice was pained and he tried to hold back the tears that were beginning to pool in his eyes. Jeremy didn't understand, he should've fought back against their dad, he should've just pulled a knife and slashed his throat. He made a promise to their mom that if anything ever happened to her, he would watch over his big sister. Apparently, their mother was worried enough to specifically ask Jeremy instead of her husband.

"Help me…" she croaked out, her voice barely above a whisper. Jeremy rushed to her closet and pulled down a long-sleeved shirt and sweatpants, the ones he knew were Elena's favorites. He felt so awkward but reached into her underwear drawer and quickly pulled out a bra and a pair of panties, not bothering to make sure they matched. It felt so wrong to him. He tossed the clothes on the bed and turned around so Elena could have some privacy. "Jer… I need help." He heard the embarrassment in her voice and silently prayed that she could get her bra and panties on by herself. While they had seen each other naked before, such as when they used to bathe together as kids, it still felt immoral and wrong to see her now as she started to gain more curves and more weight in what Elena referred to as the 'right places'. Taking a deep breath, he turned around and breathed it out in relief when Jeremy realized that she just needed help slipping the top on. Her arms were extremely sore and she could barely move them to get her sweatpants on.

"Stop struggling Elena, it's okay for me to help you, you know. You are my big sister after all. You protected me when I was little and now it's my turn to protect you." He murmured to his sister as he helped slip the top over her head and pulling her arms through gently. Once she was finally dressed he sat down in the bed and drew Elena into his arms, while he circled them around her protectively. It killed him to hear and see her cry against his chest, knowing that she had had the one thing she valued most taken from her. Jeremy ran a hand through his sister's hair, petting it softly as he pressed his lips to her forehead. He began to hum her lullaby, the one that mom had created for her when she was born. Jeremy had his own and he knew just how comforting it would be.

"Jeremy…" she choked out, her voice hoarse from the sobbing. He sighed softly.

"What is it Elena?" he tried to keep his tone and anger at directed at his father from transferring to her.

"Why did he do this? What did I do to deserve this? I mean, I provide for this family. I have been working six days a week from ten in the morning to nine at night. If it weren't for me, we would've lost the house and dad certainly wouldn't be around anymore." Elena tried to hold back her tears, she really didn't want to start crying again. For the second time today, all Jeremy could see was red.

"Dammit Elena!" his voice echoed throughout her room. "Listen to me. I am technically the man of the house anyway," Jeremy joked trying to lighten the mood. Elena wasn't finding it funny. "You didn't do ANYTHING to deserve this. I wish you didn't have to provide for us. I would gladly take a job but you know that no place is going to hire a weed and pill addict." Elena began to protest and he held up a finger, effectively silencing her. "I am so proud to call you my big sister. You have done everything you can for me, you've protected me from my biggest fears. You even bailed me out of jail so mom and dad wouldn't find out and kick me out. I owe you so much, I'll never be able to repay you as long as I live. However; I can do this much and protect you now like I said earlier. I'm going to work on getting off the drugs so you can stop working so much and I'll be able to provide for you."

Elena's heart was bursting in her chest, overflowing with love. She was in awe that Jeremy just told her that he would try to give up drugs. Suddenly she had an idea and it kick started her heart into full throttle. Elena was always a good girl, but it was time to be bad for a change. Besides maybe it would help calm her down and take the edge off all this pain she had been feeling since her mom died. "Jeremy?" she was determined to try this.

"Yes, oh fierce sister of mine?" Jeremy laughed. He knew his sister was about to ask for something by the tone of her voice. He had an idea about what it was and truth be told, he was scared out of his fucking mind. He had been doing hard stuff for about the past year and knew his tolerance pretty well. But, considering his sister never even touched anything other than ibuprofen, he didn't know what her tolerance would be.

"Um," she hesitated and Jeremy wondered if she was gonna ask or if she was gonna back down. It didn't take a mind reader to know what she wanted. "Could you… Um…" Elena began shaking, her whole body tremoring. "Could you give me some pills to calm down and take away my pain?" she spoke so fast that Jeremy wasn't sure he heard his sister right. Even though he knew she was gonna ask him for this, it still surprised him that she followed through.

A big smile lit up Jeremy's face. He was slightly excited that his sister who had judged him so much for this was willing to let go for once. She had been so uptight, even though she had had a reason to be uptight, he still wanted her to let her hair down. "I've got just the thing 'Lena." He quirked his eyebrow when he saw his sister blush but he knew better than to push it. He decided that he wouldn't let her try weed. Elena wouldn't like the smell or the taste. No, he would start her off on something much easier on the body. He maneuvered her out of his arms and walked down the hall to his room, glancing back one more time to give Elena a chance to change her mind. She just nodded her head.

Once he was in his room, he dove underneath his bed and grabbed the sock full of pills. Rising to his feet he brushed himself off and tried to remember whether it was this sock was the one with the medicine or if it was another. Jeremy took one out and examined it carefully. After doing this for a couple of years he's learned to identify almost any pill he comes across. Like one time he was supposed to be given oxycodone, but the dealer tried to pass him something that looked extremely similar. Jeremy didn't know exactly what it was but he recognized the A/215 printed on the pill. That wasn't oxy. Oxy had an M printed on one side and the dosage on the other.

Smiling at himself he stood up and carefully slipped the sock into his sweats. Tiptoeing back through the hallway, Jeremy opened the door to his father's bedroom, making sure that he was still out cold. He turned back around and shut the door quietly to not disturb his father. "Elena?" Jeremy called out to his sister, noticing that she hadn't made a noise in the past ten minutes or so. He made sure the door was open when he left his sister's room so he could hear if she was in trouble.

"Go away, Jer. You don't need to see me right now!" Elena sounded like she was struggling to hold back tears as she sat against the back of the bathroom door. She had gotten out a razor and began slowly dragging it across her arms, opting for physical pain to take her mind off things rather than doing drugs. She knew it wasn't a smart choice either way, but she didn't care. Right now, she just wanted not to feel. Elena sobbed as the blood dripped down her wrist, staining her clothes. Jeremy could smell the blood from outside the door.

"ELENA! OPEN THIS DOOR RIGHT NOW!" Jeremy screamed at his sister. He'd been down this road and he knew that you had to nip it in the bud when it started. Elena's sobs grew louder as she held toilet paper to her wrist to stop the bleeding. The little cuts she made weren't supposed to bleed this much. Jeremy paced back and forth debating whether or not to break the door down. He knew he was strong enough but he didn't want to risk hurting Elena more than she had already been hurt today. He took a deep breath and tried to muster all the calm he had. "Elena," Jeremy said sweetly "Just open the door. Let me help you. I swear I won't tell anyone." He awaited a response, nothing came. He noticed Elena's sobs had died down to almost a whimper. "Elena," he tried again, "I will break down this door. You know I can. Make this easier for the both of us and come out and talk to me." Jeremy prayed he got through to her and went to sit on her bed with his head in his hands resting on his knees. Elena had been slipping since mom died, but she was trying so hard. He thinks that she has finally lost the shreds of her mind. It was another four minutes before Elena creeped out of the bathroom, her eyes down at the floor and a deep expression of sadness and revulsion was written all over her face. Jeremy looked at Elena's wrists and swallowed hard when he saw that she had done some pretty significant damage.

"I had to. I had to get my mind off what _he_ did. I didn't wanna take pills." She murmured softly as she sat on the floor in front of her brother, her long brown hair hiding her face like a curtain.

"Elena, you do realize these will become scars, right?" She didn't answer so he continued. "I've done that shit before. You took it overboard for the first time. Give me your wrists." Elena limply held her arms up, allowing Jeremy to inspect them more closely. His heart jumped in his stomach as he began to count the sliced skin. One, two, three, four…nine, ten. "Elena! We have to wrap your arms. Dad will see and he'll just get more pissed off." Elena's heart began to flutter as she realized that he was right. What had she done to herself? Tears starting streaming down her face, falling onto her still bloody wrists. Elena felt as though she was going to throw up, but she couldn't find the strength to move to allow that to happen.

"I don't feel so good," she whimpered as she lay her back against the bed. Jeremy sat beside her wondering how to get the cuts cleaned up enough to make them invisible.

"Elena, I'm going to go get some hydrogen peroxide. It'll sting, but it'll be worth it." As her brother stood up and walked into the bathroom Elena's heart had plummeted into her stomach again. She didn't want to face any more pain. First her father's rape, then the blade across her wrists, and surely the burning of the hydrogen peroxide as it ate away at her tissues, it wasn't even noon yet!

 _'_ _Don't worry, Elena,'_ a soft voice floated through her window. If she wasn't paying attention she would have missed it. _'We will meet soon, and everything will work out for us. Be strong my love.'_ Elena closed her eyes and relished in the comfort that those words provided. Maybe she had officially gone crazy, or maybe it was her subconscious trying to protect itself. Fooling itself into thinking that a white knight would come and save it. The voice disappeared just as quickly as it came and much to Elena's dismay, Jeremy's voice returned.

"You might want to hold on to something, 'Lena." He mumbled, scared for his sister's reaction. Jeremy soaked the cotton ball in the peroxide and very gently brushed it along Elena's cuts. All she could do was whimper, her body too exhausted to violently react like it wanted to. Her flesh felt like it was being burned alive, yet she couldn't scream. Jeremy was stunned at his sister's behavior, he didn't think she could be this calm. In fact, her whimpers of pain were so quiet that had he not been listening for them he was positive she had passed out.

"I'm sorry, Jer." Was all she could mutter. She felt like she had disappointed him tremendously. Jeremy continued working on her cuts as he tried to figure out what to say to his sister.

"Elena, you can't just do shit like this. It's dangerous."

"I know, I'm sorry."

"If you're really sorry, Elena, you won't do this again. I've already lost mom, and I've pretty much lost myself, I can't lose you too."

"What about dad?"

"He isn't fit to be called 'dad'. He's hated me since before I was born. After what he did to you, I will never forgive him. In fact, we can go make a police report. It wouldn't take much." At hearing the words 'police' Elena's heart plummeted.

"No. NO!" She sat up, yanking her wrist away from Jeremy. "I can't. Dad will kill you and then me. I don't care what he does to me, Jeremy, as long as he doesn't hurt you." Was she serious right now? Jeremy was livid and tightened his hold on his sister's arm.

"Elena, he can't just get away with what he did. Other guys just attempt that stuff and they get pretty heavy sentences."

"Jeremy. It's not worth it."

"If you don't do it then I will on your behalf."

"Don't. Please, please don't." She pleaded with her brother. There were too many unknowns to make a decision like this. "I'll tell Jenna, okay? Jenna will get us out of here. She will let us move in with her."

"Fine, but you better tell her. I'm not being difficult because I want you to suffer, Elena. I'm being difficult because you're my big sister. Now just let me finish this, okay?" By the time he was done speaking his voice had dropped to barely a whisper. Elena knew he was trying to protect her, but she didn't want him to. Would she even really tell Jenna?

What would Jenna do if she found out? Elena knew exactly what she would do, she would fly out here and take them back with her. She would put Elena into a new therapy program and get Jeremy some outpatient care to help deal with his addiction problem. She would make sure they spent every moment of every day knowing they were safe and loved. Elena wouldn't have to work three jobs, she wouldn't have to worry about keeping herself and Jeremy fed. Maybe she could actually try and enjoy her senior year. But would it all be worth it? Worth leaving the place she had grown up? She didn't know.

"Okay, that should just about do it," Jeremy muttered to himself as he wrapped the last bandage around Elena's arm. "I know it's hot outside but you'll need to wear long sleeves or at least a light jacket around _him_." Hearing that, Elena knew she had a decision to make. She shouldn't have to cover up because of her father's reactions.

"Thanks Jeremy. Hey, could you bring me my phone from downstairs? I'm actually going to call Jenna right now." She absentmindedly rubbed the back of her neck as she wondered how she should break the news to Jenna. Should she just come right out and say it? Or should she just tell her things had gotten really bad? She didn't know. Jeremy eyed her suspiciously.

"You aren't going to do anything stupid again, are you?" His voice was tight. Elena shook her head and Jeremy believed her. "Okay, I'll be right back."

As he walked out of the room Elena stood up and stretched. She glanced over at the clock and saw it was nearly two in the afternoon, she had to be at work at four. Fuck. She couldn't go to work like this, but she couldn't just call off for no reason either and they needed the money. Elena would just have to pull on her big girl pants and go to work. Elena shifted nervously on her feet as she heard sounds coming from her dad's room.

Jeremy came back into her room, cellphone in hand and words were silently exchanged between them as he handed Elena her cellphone. Jeremy went and stood guard outside the door to her room in case _he_ came out and wanted to try something. Elena's hands were shaking so bad that she could barely hold the phone, let alone type in the numbers to make the call. Finally, she took a deep breath and hit the "call" button on the screen.

It rang once. Twice. It rang again as Elena's heart raced in her chest. What if Jenna was busy and couldn't answer her phone? If Elena didn't get this over with she doubted she would have the courage to do it later.

"Hello?"

"Thank god," Elena muttered to herself. "Jenna? It's Elena. Uh," She cleared her throat and tried to stop herself from crying.

"Hey honey. What's up?" Jenna's voice became concerned.

"Um…" Elena wondered how to put it. "Something awful happened." She couldn't hold back the tears.

"Oh god. What did Jeremy do? Did he overdose?! Oh, I told him to stop the drugs! I'll be on the next fli-"

"Jenna! It's not Jeremy! Jeremy is fine. It's dad. Dad did something…" Elena's voice cracked. She heard Jenna gasp on the other side of the phone.

"What the hell did that bastard do?" Silence from Elena's end. "Elena, tell me what he did. Right now." Her voice was hard and Elena swallowed audibly.


	4. Chapter 4

"He…He raped me, Jenna." Elena began to sob. Now there was silence from Jenna's end.

"What?" was all that Jenna managed to say, her voice growing quiet. "THAT BASTARD! I AM GOING TO KILL HIM!"

"Please come here and get us, I'm sorry I'm asking you so quick but I'm afraid of what he'll do next. He was drunk, he hit me…"

"Elena I want you to tell me exactly what happened. I'm packing my stuff now, I'll be on the next flight out."

"Dad and Jeremy got into it and he knocked Jeremy out. He came upstairs and I tried to hide under my bed. He told me I could come out voluntarily or he was going to drag me out. I wanted to calm him down so I tried to reason with him. I mentioned mom and that sort of sent him back into a rage and he hit me and knocked me out. When I woke up I was tied to the bed. He raped me. I've never felt so dirty and wrong." She sobbed into the phone, clutching her chest with one hand as she gasped for breath. Jeremy rushed back into her bedroom and swept her into his arms, taking the phone from her.

"Elena, honey. Calm down, it wasn't your fault. Here's what I want you to-"

"Jenna, it's Jeremy. Elena's too upset to talk."

"Jeremy! Are you and your sister okay right now? Where's that bastard?"

"He's asleep in his room, but I think he may be starting to wake up."

"Okay, that's good. I need you and Elena to pack your things and go to a hotel, alright? I'm coming in on the next flight and you both will be coming back with me. I knew he was a little messed up after your mother died, but I didn't think he would ever do something like this. Have you called the police?"

"No. Elena doesn't want to involve them."

"Well she doesn't exactly have a choice in the matter, Jeremy. We are going to call them and make a report when I get there. He isn't going to get away with this, he will do it again if we don't."

"Okay. But how am I supposed to pay for the hotel? I don't have any money."

"Your mom kept a hidden compartment filled with about three-thousand dollars in case an emergency ever happened. It's underneath the sixth floorboard from the left in Elena's closet. Get that and use it to pay for anything you guys need until I get there. It looks like the next flight leaves in an hour and it's about a six-hour flight so I should be there around ten tonight. I want you to text me as soon as you get checked in to the hotel so I know you got there safely. I love you both and I'll be there soon."

"We love you too. Bye." Jeremy hung up the phone, relieved that they would be getting out of here. "Elena," he said softly as he pulled her away from him. Start packing, Jenna is on her way. We're going to stay in a hotel until she gets here."

"But I have to work!"

"No buts, Elena. You'll have to quit your three jobs now anyway because this is going to be permanent. I'll call them and tell them we're leaving and you can't work there anymore. You just focus on packing your things. Grab clothes and whatever stuff you want to take. We don't have long." He stepped away and walked over to her closet, pulled out a duffle bag and tossed it to Elena. She sniffled and walked over to her dresser as Jeremy counted the floorboards to find the sixth one. Once he found it he knocked and noticed it was hollow, indicating that he was in the right spot. Peeling back the board he saw a wad of bills in a Ziploc bag and grabbed it, his eyes bugging out at the sheer amount of money in front of him. Tucking the bag safely into his jacket he reset the board and stood up as he closed the closet door.

"Money..." Elena muttered to herself.

"What was that?"

"Money, Jeremy. We don't have any money to pay for the hotel room."

"I have it taken care of. Just pack." He kissed her hair and walked out of her room to go pack his own bag.

Alone now Elena's mind kept replaying the horrible event over and over. She could still feel could still feel his hands grasping her, surely leaving bruises in their wake. Elena frantically began just grabbing assorted items of clothing and tossed them into the duffle bags. She figured she could always buy more clothes later.

What she was unsure of though, was what she should take and leave behind. She walked over to her desk and grabbed her laptop and cell phone as well as the chargers for them, deciding to take only the necessities. She placed them on top of the clothes and zipped up the bag. Meticulously, and to serve as a distraction, she cataloged everything left in her room. Pictures of her and her friends, her old cheerleading pom-poms, a locket her ex-boyfriend gave to her… Something caught her eye; in the corner of the room, nestled in her chair next to a pillow was the bear her mom had bought her when she had her two week stay in the hospital as a child. There was no way that Elena could leave such an important part of her childhood, and her mom, behind. She walked over and grabbed the bear, holding it tightly against her chest. As she held it, a memory came back to her.

A frail, tiny Elena laid in the hospital bed curled up on her side. The doctor had just taken another blood sample; the third in the past week. She was scared and didn't feel well. All she could do was lay there as the medicine dripped into her IV and silently cry. Suddenly there was a knock on the door.

"Elena, baby?" Her mother spoke softly as she stepped into the hospital room. "I have a surprise for you…" Elena sat up and her eyes brightened at the mention of a surprise. Was she getting to go home finally?

"What is it, mommy?" She asked as her mother pulled a bear out from behind her back.

"His name is Mr. Bear, and he isn't feeling too well. I think he needs a hug." Her mom smiled as she walked closer to Elena, sitting on the edge of the hospital bed. Elena gasped and grabbed him from her mom, cradling him in her arms like he was a baby.

"Is he sick like me?"

"He is and I think you're just what the doctor ordered." Elena smiled at the bear as her mom kissed her forehead.

From that day on, her and Mr. Bear were inseparable. At least they were until Elena turned thirteen and realized that having a teddy bear was a childish thing, but she couldn't stand to get rid of it because her mom gave it to her.

"Elena, are you ready?" Jeremy's voice brought her out of her happy memory and she frowned.

"Yeah," she sighed softly. "Yeah, I am." Elena walked back to her bag and unzipped it, placing Mr. Bear inside before zipping it for the final time. "Is he…?"

"Still asleep? Yes, but barely. We need to go now if we're going to make it out of here without a confrontation. Come on," Jeremy held out his hand and Elena took it, smiling. Things were going to start getting better from here on out. Hand in hand the two walked down the stairs and out the front door, locking it behind them. Jeremy took his sister's bag and tossed it into the back seat of the car along with his and climbed in the driver's seat as Elena opted to sit in the passenger.

"I'll protect you, Elena. I promise." Jeremy took her hand again and held it tightly.


	5. Chapter 5

"Jeremy?" Elena murmured as she sat on the hotel bed, absentmindedly picking at her nails.

"Yes?" He looked away from his laptop towards his sister.

"What time is it?"

"Almost eight thirty, Jenna should be here in about two hours."

"Why haven't you eaten anything yet? Aren't you hungry?"

"No, I hadn't even thought about food. Why? Are you?"

"A little bit. But when I think about eating I feel like I'll get sick."

"You're probably starving. I can order us something," he grabbed the room service menu and began thumbing through, trying to find something for his sister. "Uh, how about a grilled chicken sandwich? I mean you're into that whole diet/healthy thing, right?"

Elena, who was trapped inside her own head, didn't respond. Honestly, she didn't want to eat. The way she looked probably had something to do with the reason her dad raped her. If she were to get skinnier, maybe she wouldn't be as appealing to men. Regardless of whether it was unhealthy or not, she knew she wouldn't be able to survive a second time. In fact, the only thing keeping her here right now was the fact that Jeremy and her aunt Jenna needed her.

"Um, Elena?" Jeremy waved his hand in front of his sister's face, trying to get a response. It seemed that she had retreated into her mind and wanted to be left alone. But he knew it wasn't healthy for her to not eat. Even with all that she had been through today, in his mind she needed food. Preferably something with a lot of calories and carbohydrates. If she didn't want to eat though, how could he force her? What if forcing her to eat made her even sicker? Jeremy got up and walked out of the room, shutting the door quietly as he slid down against the wall in the hallway. He didn't know what to do. Would getting away from here and going to Mystic Falls even change anything? Elena would be stuck with her memories forever, so moving wouldn't just make them disappear. So many questions, so few answers. There had to be something that he could do, someone that he could find that would help her. Jeremy was brought out of his thoughts by his cellphone ringing in his pocket.

"Hey Jenna," he sighed.

"How's Elena holding up?"

"I can't get her to eat. She's retreated into her mind and I can't bring her out of it. Jenna I'm terrified for her. I haven't seen her look this bad since mom died, and even then, it wasn't this bad." Jeremy had to resist the urge to cry. Men didn't cry.

"I know. You probably won't be able to get her to do anything. She may listen to me but I doubt it. I have already arranged a meeting with a therapist who is going to start seeing Elena,"

"It's a girl, right?!" He stressed. He knew Jenna wasn't that dumb, but you never know.

"Of course it's a girl. Look I'm about an hour out, and I've already got transportation and everything up for when I get there. I want you to go ahead and take her to the police station and wait there for me, okay? She will just resist more when I get there if I try and take her. The police may want to send her to the hospital for a rape kit for evidence." Jenna sounded so stressed out, she knew Elena absolutely hated hospitals and wanted nothing to do with them. "She may want to get a shower but do not let her, it could wash the evidence away."

"Okay, got it. See you soon." He muttered as he stood back up, shoving his phone in his pocket. Oh fuck. How was he going to do this? Jeremy held his breath as he walked back through the door and tried to decide how to get Elena to cooperate.

"Jeremy," Elena's voice was hoarse from crying. She wiped her eyes with her sleeves to no avail, the tears kept coming. He went over to his sister's bag and grabbed out Mr. Bear, placing him into Elena's arms. She hugged him tightly to her.

"We have to go Elena. Jenna will be here soon and there's somethings that have to be done before we can leave for Mystic Falls." Jeremy could practically taste the tension in the air as his sister processed what he just said.

"I'm not going to the police." She whimpered meekly. "We can't. He'll go after us. He'll hurt me, or worse he'll hurt you or Jenna." Jeremy scoffed. Leave it to Elena to worry about someone other than herself.

"Jenna and I are perfectly capable of handling ourselves. You however are not. Not like this. If we don't make a report, Elena, he will do it again. Who knows? Maybe it could be the neighbor girl next time? You know, little April you used to babysit?" He really didn't want to have to stoop that low but he knew it was the only way.

"Oh god. No, April doesn't deserve something like that to happen to her." Elena shuddered visibly. "I'm just so scared, Jer," She sobbed as Jeremy picked her up and cradled her in his arms.

"Shhh…" he murmured into her hair, "I'll be right beside you this entire time, I promise. I'll never leave you or let anyone hurt you ever again. Please, Elena. We have to tell them." He shifted her so that her head was against his shoulder and she buried her face into his neck.

"Okay." She whispered out and began to tremble. Jeremy was shocked. Did she really just agree that easily? He gently set her back down on the bed and went to put his laptop back in his bag. "Are you sure you don't want to eat?" Elena seemed to fight with herself for a moment before shaking her head. Well, at least he tried. "Come here." He pulled her close to his side as he slung her bag over his shoulder and held his in his other hand. Elena took very small baby steps. She was feeling a little sore and tired.

Jeremy was deeply concerned about his sister's ability to recall what happened when they arrived at the police station to make the report. What if she closed up and refused to talk? Would he or Jenna be able to explain what had happened based on what Elena described to them? Would the police even do anything? Too wrapped up in his thoughts, he didn't notice when Elena stumbled forward and fell to the floor.

"Ouch." She muttered. Jeremy looked down at her and shook his head as he offered out his hand to her.

"Sorry. Thinking." He sighed while helping her up.

"It's okay, I was doing the same thing." Elena shrugged as they stepped into the elevator.

"Things are going to be better soon, Elena. We'll get to Mystic Falls and probably enroll in the high school. You'll get to be the overprotective big sister who has to make sure her kid brother is staying out of trouble." He joked, trying to lighten the mood. It worked a little, Elena cracked a small smile.

"Of course I'll have to look out for you, though I know you promise you'd change. So, once you can show me that you're making a solid effort to quit the drugs, I'll lighten up." Elena sighed. Jeremy rolled his eyes. He said he would change and he would, it may take a little time but he was confident he could do it. "You know withdrawal is going to suck, right?"

"I know-" he started before Elena interrupted him.

"But I'll be here to help you through it. We stick together." Jeremy smiled at that, she was right.

As Jeremy walked to the front desk to check out Elena decided to go stand by the window in the lobby and look outside. It was raining, how fitting. She thought about her life here; growing up and playing in the streets with her friends until the sun went down, her mom reading to her every night, discovering who she thought was her first love, having her first kiss underneath the slide during recess in fifth grade… She was leaving all of this behind. And for what? What was going to be there in Mystic Falls for her? She'd be the outsider, surely the kids would know about her and Jeremy losing their mom because Jenna was heavily involved with the high school by volunteering, it was her way of being a surrogate mom since she couldn't have any kids. The kids would also ask why they had decided to move, and what would Elena or Jeremy tell them? Problems at home? Father walked out on them? Or should she tell the truth that her father raped her? Yeah, no, not that last one. They could just say that they needed a fresh start and leave it at that. At least in Mystic Falls there wouldn't be anything to remind them of their old life.

"Ready Elena?" Jeremy startled her. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you. We're all good to go. I'm going to bring the car around to the front, so you don't have to walk in the rain, okay? I'm leaving the luggage with you, don't lose it." He joked as he walked out the lobby doors and went to the car. Elena continued to watch him, almost in awe. In just the past few hours she had noticed a change in his attitude and behavior, but she was sure that when he was alone all his anger and sadness and frustration would leak out. She could only hope that he stayed safe while working through those feelings.

Once they had everything loaded in the car and started to drive to the police station the butterflies returned to Elena's

stomach. She was afraid to talk about what happened, what if the detectives didn't believe her? She knew she had to do

this, for more than just her sake. If he did this to her, he would do it again and maybe to April like Jeremy had suggested.

No one else should have to suffer what Elena had suffered.


End file.
